Hoyer Statement on the 21st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today in honor of the 21st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Hoyer was the lead House sponsor of the ADA, helping to enact it into law with bipartisan support:

“Twenty-one years ago today, the first President Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act. I was proud to help write this important law and work for its passage through Congress. The ADA made our nation a world leader in the inclusion of people with disabilities, and it came about because Republicans and Democrats, disability advocates and business leaders, all realized that we gain as a nation when we help all of our people live up to their potential.

“Since its passage, the ADA has opened the doors of opportunity to more than 50 million Americans, helping secure their fuller participation in our society and our economy. The ADA remains a powerful statement of our commitment to equality—and we reaffirmed that commitment in 2008, when we passed the ADA Amendments Act to restore the law’s inclusive intent in the face of overly narrow court rulings. As we mark this anniversary, I hope that we can learn from the spirit of bipartisan progress that made the ADA possible, and I hope we can continue to work against the remaining barriers to equality that restrict the opportunity of Americans with disabilities.”